On Saturday, May 5th, Kyle and his co-driver, Nate Stacy, won their second straight victory in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge driving the No. 60 KohR Motorsports / Roush Performance Ford Mustang GT4 as part of the return of International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) to the track that has been called “the most competitive in the U.S.”

“We are thrilled for Kyle and his race teams. He is an accomplished driver and a wonderful ambassador in the autoimmune disease community,” said Virginia Ladd, President and Executive Director of AARDA. “There are over a hundred autoimmune diseases, impacting approximately 50 million Americans, and Kyle continues to find innovative ways to generate public awareness about the need for autoimmune care and research by connecting with the vast motorsports audience.”

In addition to winning the Continental Tire Challenge, on Sunday, May 6th, Kyle and his co-driver, Dominik Baumann, won the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in 3GT Racing’s No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in a dramatic race to the finish line.

“It was a great weekend all around. To win the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race on Saturday and the WeatherTech race on Sunday, it’s a dream come true weekend. I greatly appreciate the outstanding performances by my co-drivers and the teams who made this incredible weekend happen. I am happy to generate awareness for AARDA, the AHN Autoimmunity Institute, and the Race for RP,” Marcelli said.

“It was fantastic to watch Kyle Marcelli and his teammate, Dominik Baumann, win the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship at Mid-Ohio in 3GT Racing’s beautiful No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3. 3GT Racing had an incredible weekend and we could not be more grateful to Paul Gentilozzi and the entire 3GT team for helping us increase awareness of autoimmune disorders. 3GT Racing was spectacular!” said Joseph Ahearn, MD, Chair, AHN Autoimmunity Institute.

Susan Manzi, MD, MPH, Chair of the AHN Medicine Institute and Director of the Lupus Center of Excellence within the Autoimmunity Institute added, “We are pleased to collaborate with AARDA and the Race for RP (relapsing polychondritis) program and are grateful for the tremendous opportunity to highlight the opening of the Allegheny Health Network’s Autoimmunity Institute.”

About AARDA

The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) is dedicated to the eradication of autoimmune diseases and the alleviation of suffering and the socioeconomic impact of autoimmunity through fostering and facilitating collaboration in the areas of education, public awareness, research, and patient services in an effective, ethical and efficient manner.

AARDA is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected--some 37.5 million people--are women. For more information, visit www.aarda.org.

About Kyle Marcelli

Canadian Kyle Marcelli is an established professional racing driver and one of North America’s top rising stars in professional sports car racing. After a successful career in go-karts and single-seaters, Kyle made his professional debut at the pinnacle of sports car racing, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2010. Kyle’s auto racing accomplishments include; FF1600 champion, FF2000 3rd, Porsche GT3 Cup champion, American Le Mans Series vice-champion, European Le Mans Series winner, Petit Le Mans 10H winner, Sebring 12H 2nd, Pirelli World Challenge winner, Trans Am Series winner and Thunderhill 25H winner. Kyle represents his passion, sport, sponsors, team and fans proudly and effectively. He’s winning, engaging and always visible. For more information, visit www.kylemarcelli.com.

About AHN Autoimmunity Institute

The AHN Autoimmunity Institute is an unprecedented venture focused on advancing the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure of all autoimmune diseases, of which there are more than 100. The Institute’s focus is on improved outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and quality of life, and decreased cost of care, through collaborative multispecialty care, cutting-edge research, advocacy and education in attacking these chronic diseases. For more information, visit www.ahn.org/autoimmunity-institute.